NEWARK, N.J. – A Hunterdon County, New Jersey man made his initial appearance on January 23, 2026 following his arrest on charges of wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme involving liquor licenses, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.Sameh Aboelata, 50, of Raritan Township, New Jersey, was charged in a four-count criminal complaint with one count of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. Aboelata had his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court.According to documents filed in this case and statements made in Court:As alleged, between 2016 and 2023, Aboelata obtained more than $17 million from a victim investor by claiming he would use the victim’s money to acquire and maintain liquor licenses. In reality, Aboelata used the money to line his own pockets, including for casino-related transactions, transfers or checks to family members or associates, rental payments for Aboelata’s restaurant, and transfers to other related bank accounts.
Financial records show that only several thousand dollars of the $17 million was actually used to acquire and maintain liquor licenses. The charge of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that anyone derived from the offense or of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense, whichever is greatest. Each charge of money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of criminally derived property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited agents of the IRS Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and the U.S.
Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanks the USPIS Newark Division, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, and Raritan Township Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.The Government is represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle M. Navarro and Mark Pesce of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark.The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ###Defense counsel: Rahul Sharma, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark